Ok, here is the problem. I cannot design a project very well. So, when a project is posted very seldom does the poster supply ant information as to the dimensions, stock thickness, etc. Now how can I copy your MASTER PIECE and claim it as my own if I do not know these facts? In all seriousness, I think it would help in understanding the project if some basic information were provided other than “Here is a box I made”.

Just found my old soap box and wanted to use it.

-- Bill - If I knew GRANDKIDS were so much fun I would have had them first.

I, and most other people here I believe, are happy to answer any questions you may have about a project, including dimensions. I do give a measurement sometimes to give someone an idea of the size. For example, I often tell people the motorcycle rocker I built is fifty inches long. It is just to give you an idea of the mass of it, since that is hard to determine sometimes from a photo. If anyone wanted to know other measurements though, like height or width, I’d be happy to tell.

Purely playing Devil’s Advocate here, but sometimes (very rarely) there aren’t many dimensions. Plank and raw edge pieces might fit into this category. The wood itself is minimally cut. Tables are another. It often doesn’t matter if a tabletop is 4ft or 5 ft long, or even 6 ft, the design stays pretty much the same. Table heights and widths are pretty standard (somewhere around 30 in high and 36-40 in wide for dining tables, 20in high for coffee tables, and accent tables about as tall as a chair or sofa arm) and so are some of the dimensions for chairs (seat height around 20in), and both counter and bar stools have standard heights (or thereabouts). If you can guess a few measurements, and eyeball how it was made, with a bit of math, you can figure out the rest.

I tend to run at the mouth, but a lot of people are more taciturn, so perhaps the idea is just to post and say “hey, look at this cool thing I made” and be on their way. Another thing is that they forget someone might want to replicate the piece or night not know where they found the plans they used (all the more reason to post them, actually!).

As for my own stuff, most of it is refinishing jobs, at least half of it all is veneer work, and the remaining few bits I just come up with dimensions arbitrarily, trying to be mindful of the relationships of the pieces to keep them from being too weak by making something too big or something else too small. The only dimensions I worry incessantly about are those standard heights and widths I mentioned above.

I don’t know how reckless it is, (I don’t just cut as I go, but the planning measurements is a bit more intuitive/emotional than perhaps some might like), but it works for me.

Now that I’ve argued somewhat for the opposing side, I want to chip in and say Post your measurements and your steps!!!

Cooks are the same way. When my Wife or daughters as me how I did something, I tell them I added this and that. WHEN THEY SAY “hOW MUCH?” I tell them a glizzle of this or a glug of that. Sometimes a schlorp. They’rre still not satisfied. I guess woodworkers are the same way.

I made these bedroom furniture pieces for my grandsons from the photos & dimensions given in a Pottery Barn catalog. It was easy to estimate the top & bottom thickness & the top overhang from the photo. After that I used a dial caliper to gauge the face frame dimensions & leg height. I deducted the top & bottom thickness & the leg height from the given height dimension to get the carcass height.

I made this shooting box by using a caliper to measure the height & width of an example in a photo. I divided the height into the width & used that ratio to determine the dimensions for my project.

Dimension wise, you won’t get an exact copy… but you will be satisfied that it will fit your needs.

Is this something the owners of LumberJocks could help us out with? I’m thinking two enhancements to the site along these lines would be useful:

1. Instead of putting it in the comments, have a separate form for the dimensions of the project. That way they would also be searchable (I want to find design ideas for a cabinet with a height more than 36” for example).

2. Give people a way to contact the builder of a project so that they can ask questions.